‘I Spend My Days Renting Out Freedom. What Could be Better?’

Story by Team Outdoorsy // July 12, 2017

Meet Michael Jacobs, one of Outdoorsy’s top owners. He’s a Nevada native, who designed his own camper vans, and then made a business out of it. He now runs and owns The Sierra Mule.

I couldn’t find what I wanted. So I just built it: “I am a lover of the great outdoors. But I’m not a fan of packing a vehicle so tightly that it’s hard to fit myself in. I also don’t love pitching a tent in the dark after a long drive in inclement weather. So I decided to design my own van. I bought a Mercedes Sprinter and configured it to suit my needs.”

It’s all about sharing my joy: “About a year ago, I noticed that people with interests similar to mine were also on the lookout for small and versatile rental vans. I’d experienced the joy of having the perfect camper van and I wanted to share that with others. I decided to rent my own van out. Since then, I’ve added one more custom-made and have turned The Sierra Mule into a registered business.”

My job is to rent out freedom: The thing I love most about this business is that I’m renting out freedom. My customers are usually looking to go off the grid or venture into a place where traditional RVs aren’t allowed or that can’t physically be accessed. I love being the one to facilitate that. I recently had the opportunity to provide transportation and lodging to a young couple for their month-long honeymoon tour of the National Parks of the west. My van gave them the freedom to go wherever they wanted on their own schedule. That’s awesome!

Outdoorsy provides excellent tools: “Outdoorsy has played a key role in the success of my business. I started this venture with a very clear idea of what I wanted to build, and Outdoorsy has provided me with the tools I needed to achieve my dreams without requiring too much from me.